Catholic Church hits back at Archbishop of Canterbury's claims that it has "lost all credibility"

Catholic leaders have hit back at claims by the Archbishop of Canterbury that
the Catholic Church in Ireland has “lost all credibility” because of the
child abuse scandal.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan WilliamsPhoto: DAVID ROSE

By Roya Nikkhah

2:15PM BST 03 Apr 2010

The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, the head of the biggest Catholic diocese in Ireland, said that he was “stunned” to hear Dr Rowan Williams’ comments, which were recorded for an interview to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s Start the Week programme on Monday.

The senior Irish Catholic clergyman said that those working to renew the church did not deserve such a comment, which he claimed would be immensely disheartening and would challenge their faith even further.

Commenting for the first time on the crisis gripping the Irish Catholic Church, Dr Rowan Williams said the revelations had been a “colossal trauma” for Ireland in particular.

He said: “I was speaking to an Irish friend recently who was saying that it’s quite difficult in some parts of Ireland to go down the street wearing a clerical collar now.

“And an institution so deeply bound into the life of a society, suddenly becoming, suddenly losing all credibility - that’s not just a problem for the Church, it is a problem for everybody in Ireland.”

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In a strongly worded rebuke, Archbishop Martin, who has called for full accountability in the Church over child abuse, said he had rarely felt so personally discouraged.

He said: “The unequivocal and unqualified comment in a radio interview of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, that the Catholic Church in Ireland has “lost all credibility” has stunned me.”

“As Archbishop of Dublin, I have been more than forthright in addressing the failures of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

"I still shudder when I think of the harm that was caused to abused children. I recognise that their Church failed them.

“But I also journey with those - especially parents and priests - who work day by day to renew the Catholic Church in this diocese and who are committed to staying with their Church and passing on the faith in wearying times.

“Archbishop Williams’ comments will be for them immensely disheartening and will challenge their faith even further.

“But speaking frankly I have to say that in all my years as Archbishop of Dublin in difficult times I have rarely felt personally so discouraged as when I woke to hear Archbishop Williams’ comments.”

Peter Bottomley, the Conservative MP for Worthing West, called on the BBC to broadcast the full interview immediately.

Mr Bottomley, who is a member of the Ecclesiastical Committee, said that he believed the interview would show the Archbishop was not in fact intending to make an attack on the Catholic Church.

“The BBC should broadcast the whole interview today and not wait until Monday morning,” he said.

“I believe that some of those commenting on the Archbishop’s words have not heard the full interview.

“The public do not know whether this is a real row or whether Archbishop Williams was expressing sympathy with the position of the Catholic Church in Ireland.”